Love and Second Chances
by H Golightly
Summary: Emma knew a liar when she saw one & she'd borne witness to plenty of Regina's lies, but now she truly believed Regina was trying to change for the sake of the boy they both loved. Having Henry in her life had given Emma new purpose. If he could do the same for Regina, then Emma knew she had to help the woman get a second chance at happiness. Set after Emma's return from FTL.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

This story starts after Regina has helped ensure Emma and Mary Margaret's safe return from Fairytale Land and explores what could have happened had Cora not arrived as she did and upset Regina's efforts to reform for Henry's sake. Chapter One picks up a short time after Regina has attended Emma and Mary Margaret's welcome home party, at Emma's invitation.

I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing them and leading them down the path to their true destiny for the sake of your entertainment.

* * *

Emma knocked on the door of the imposing mansion house. She'd thought long and hard about whether this visit was for the best and in the end she'd decided it was worth the risk. In the weeks since she'd returned from the Enchanted Forest, Emma had observed with interest the efforts Regina had been making to prove herself worthy of Henry's time and love. Emma wasn't naïve, she knew the woman hadn't changed beyond all recognition in such a short space of time. She'd witnessed her struggling to be polite with Mary Margaret, watched on amused at her irritation with Ruby's overly inquisitive café banter and seen the outright hostility whenever Leroy was close enough to start sniping at her. But rather than discourage Emma from letting Regina see Henry, she actually found that she admired the former Queen's attempts to suppress the lifetime of animosity that she had felt for these people for the sake of making Henry happy. Emma knew a liar when she saw one and she'd borne witness to plenty of Regina's lies, but now, like Henry, she truly believed that Regina was trying to change for the sake of the boy they both loved.

As Emma continued to play over the pros and cons of her decision, the front door swung open with purpose and a delighted Regina bent to embrace her son, clutching him to her for a short, but heartfelt hug. "I'm so glad to see you." she greeted him as she stood and ushered him into the house. "Thank you both for coming, dinner is almost ready. Please Emma, come in, let me take your coat." Regina gestured for the blonde to follow Henry inside as she smiled at her warmly.

Emma hesitantly made her way inside the mansion, but in spite of her apprehension at the thought of dining with Henry's other Mom, she appreciated the effort Regina was going to in trying to make her feel welcome. The woman she had reluctantly become well too acquainted with, before the full nature of their familial connection had been revealed post-curse, would at one time have probably preferred to dine with the devil than to have voluntarily entertained Emma Swan in her home. The fact that Regina was willing to play hostess for her now, spoke volumes to Emma of her commitment to change for the good of her son.

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Dinner was delicious and with Henry acting as a buffer between Regina and Emma, the meal had passed with surprising civility. Regina had relished the opportunity to catch up on all of Henry's news. Although outwardly delighted to hear how her son's week had been, the fleeting moments of melancholy that clouded the brunette's eyes as Henry enthused about the fun activities he had been enjoying with his grandparents and his younger mother were not lost on Emma. As gratified as she was by her son's enthusiasm for the time they'd spent together, she couldn't help feeling a little guilty at the way the sudden changes to Henry's home life had impacted on his relationship with his adoptive mother. She knew that it was for the best that Henry live with her and her parents. After everything that had been revealed about Regina and her past wrong doings, she wanted to ensure Henry's safety and given the circumstances, that meant keeping him with her. But, she also knew that a child needed their parents and in spite of all of Regina's failings, the quality that made Emma believe she was redeemable was her true love for Henry. If Regina continued to give her hope that she was right in this belief, then Emma was prepared to keep supporting her in her efforts to change and to be a part of Henry's life.

Emma stood and began clearing their plates from the table. "Miss Sw..." Emma glanced up at the utterance and Regina sensing that her dinner companion was disappointed with her return to formality, quickly corrected herself, "Emma, that's really not necessary. I can clean up later on." Emma paid no heed to Regina's words and continued to tidy. "You cooked us a lovely meal, the least I can do is a little cleaning up." she said with a smile, knowing better than to impose her will too strongly upon her hostess. Regina rose and she too began tidying their dinner things away, but Emma was pleased when the brunette handed the plates she had gathered to her. Regina turned to a fidgety Henry, "Why don't you go and play one of your video games while I help Emma tidy up." The young boy leapt up from his seat and called a "Thanks, Mom!" after him as he dashed from the room without a second glance to his mothers, who turned and laughed to each other at his youthful enthusiasm.

Emma caught herself smiling openly at Regina, the woman who just a few short months ago had tried to poison her with a seemingly innocent pastry. She attempted to wrap her head around the reality that she was had been enjoying a rather pleasant family evening with her former nemesis. Emma was under no illusion that she and Regina would have any reason to be within 50ft of each other if it weren't for Henry, but she couldn't deny that the brunette had been a gracious hostess. Her train of thought was broken as Regina made for the kitchen door, holding it open for Emma with her foot as she went through. The blonde followed her into the kitchen and as Regina began to wash dishes, Emma stood, cloth in hand, ready to dry them.

Regina cleared her throat, wanting to speak, but feeling ill-equipped to express her appreciation to a woman she had once viewed as the root of all her problems in Storybrooke and who in truth was still a source of some considerable vexation to her. "Thank you for this evening, Emma. I know it's not the most natural thing in the world, us sharing dinnertime with Henry, but if it helps you to see that I really can be trusted with his well-being then I am happy to have you here." Regina battled within herself to quell that small voice inside that balked at the thought of thanking this latecomer to Henry's life for a few precious moments with the child that she had raised single-handed. But the surprising reality was that in the last few weeks Emma had been something of an ally to her cause to spend more time with Henry. Sure, she wouldn't let him spend any extended period of time alone with her yet, but Emma was making an effort to ensure that the two got to see and spend time with each other. She'd started by letting her meet Henry for breakfast at the diner. The blonde ate her breakfast seated at the counter, giving mother and son some space to enjoy each other's company. Then she suggested Regina take him to the park when sheriff's duties had kept her busy on a Saturday morning. Such activities were becoming a regular occurrence and Regina counted down the hours until her next opportunity to see her son. Regina had noted, that not only was Emma being amenable to Henry spending time with her, but the sheriff was also combating her parents reticence regarding these arrangements. On more than one occasion she had spied the blonde counseling one or other of her parents to back off a little, as the annoying twosome had hovered in her vicinity during her time with Henry. Anyone who could encourage Snow and her Prince Charming to give her a wide berth was worth some consideration in Regina's opinion.

The blonde knew that such words didn't come easily to Regina and she paused from the task of drying dishes to acknowledge her thanks. "I know we're not a conventional family and I know I wouldn't normally be your first choice for a dinner guest, but I see how happy Henry is that we're trying to get along and I just want to help him."

"As do I, Miss Swan, as do I!" the brunette bit back, just a little too emphatically. Regina could see a small glimmer of frustration in the blonde's eyes at her defensive reply and she took a moment to collect her thoughts before continuing, knowing that taking her frustrations out on the one person who held the key to her spending more time with Henry was totally counter productive. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to snap at you."

Emma couldn't help herself, she laughed heartily at Regina's valiant attempt at a sincere apology. She knew the woman was trying her best to curb her naturally acerbic personality, but honestly, it was a little comical, like Regina had been replaced by the Stepford Wife version of herself. The more she knew that she shouldn't be laughing, the harder it was to stop. One look at Regina's face told her that the woman was anything but amused.

The brunette stared at her guest, aghast at the impertinence of the woman. "I fail to see what's so funny, Miss Swan?"

"Regina, who are you trying to kid, I know you hate this, having to work with me to spend time with Henry!" the blonde stated matter-of-factly, still chuckling to herself as she spoke.

When Emma continued to laugh Regina felt her thinly stretched patience pushed to breaking point. "Does it amuse you to have me at your mercy? Beholden to you for any opportunity to see my son. Constantly walking on eggshells in your presence, afraid that I won't be deemed worthy to spend time with the child I raised while you were busy wandering the country aimlessly?" The brunette turned on her heels suddenly, needing to put a little distance between herself and the blonde, afraid that if she looked at the provoking smirk on the sheriff's face for a second longer that she'd say things that would undo all the hard work she'd done to get herself to this point; dinner with Henry at home. She marveled at the woman's ability to get her riled up so easily. She knew she'd done her fair share of provoking Emma when she first came to town, but really, who could blame her for wanting to rid herself of the unwelcome and undeserving presence of a rival for Henry's time and affection. But even now, when she was trying so hard to be accommodating of this leather jacket obsessed nuisance, the blonde was still able to annoy her so effortlessly. Regina was broken from her train of thought by the touch of hand on her elbow. She whipped around suddenly, a reflexive response to being touched without warning.

Emma couldn't tell from the inscrutable scowl on the brunette's face whether she was angry or upset with her for her spontaneous and ill-timed fit of laughter, either way she was already regretting the fact that her outburst had soured the atmosphere between the two of them. " Regina, it's my turn to apologize and I mean it sincerely. It's just that I couldn't help laughing when I could practically see you counting to ten before you spoke to stop yourself from saying something scathing to me."

Regina was relieved to see that all traces of amusement had disappeared from the blonde's face and her apology appeared to be genuine. "What did you expect? Do you think this is easy for me, Deferring to you on all matters regarding my son?" She stopped herself from elaborating on her displeasure any further, thinking it prudent to rein in her irritation in an attempt to restore some civility to their conversation.

"I know it's not." Emma said sincerely.

Regina had been primed to continue defending herself, but for once she found that she was stunned into silence by the woman with whom she had grown so used to verbally sparring. Realizing that she was staring open-mouthed at the blonde, she collected herself and in a voice that was so quiet it was barely there she asked, "You do?"

"I had to bring him back to you on numerous occasions, knowing he was unhappy and knowing there was nothing I could do to solve his problems." the blonde stated honestly.

If Emma had been paying close attention she would have noticed that for a split second Regina looked completely crestfallen, before her more typical demeanor of annoyance quickly resurfaced. "Oh, I should have known your supposed understanding was just a veiled attempt to criticize me!"

"No, I didn't mean it as a criticism, I'm just telling you, a few months ago I was in your place and I know it's difficult. And come on, Regina, let's be honest, you knew as well as I did that Henry wasn't happy. You were lying to the kid and he knew something was up."

"I thought we were trying to move on from the past and do what's best for Henry now, must we keep revisiting my errors in judgement?"

"I am trying to do what's best for Henry...we are." the blonde corrected herself, as she gestured between the two of them "I know you're trying too. I'm not meaning to sound critical, that's not what I'm trying to get at here. I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that you can be more honest with me, Regina. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me."

"You don't think I'm being honest enough with you? When my life is practically an open book for..."

"I didn't mean it like that!" the blonde interjected before Regina could become any more frustrated with her attempts to explain herself. Emma continued, speaking quickly, needing to get her point across without any more room for confusion, "Regina, I know this situation is difficult for you, I know you're trying your best to be worthy of Henry, I know that you're trying to cooperate with me and be as honest as you've probably ever been. But I also know that all of this, having to lay yourself open to scrutiny, having to deal with my parents, playing hostess to me, it's probably your worst nightmare. What I'm trying to tell you is, you don't have to do this with me, this on your best behavior persona 24/7, because frankly, it's so not you that it's a little disconcerting!" As the blonde paused for breath she registered the surprised look on the brunette's face.

"So, what do you want me to do?" a confused Regina questioned.

"I want you to try and be yourself around me. Sure, I can live without the snide remarks, getting punched in the face and your condescending commentary about my past. I'm not wishing for those good times back again, but you don't have to subvert your whole personality just because you're worried it will have some fallout for what we're doing for Henry. And as for your _errors in judgement_," Emma emphasized in a gently mocking tone, "as long as you can keep the scheming, dark magic and homicidal tendencies in your past and as long as we're both on our best behavior in front of Henry, then the rest of the time I don't need the sunshine and rainbows act from you every time you see me, okay?" Emma paused to allow Regina to respond, but when she was met with unaccustomed silence from the brunette, she continued on. "And to prove to you that I'm trying to do my best to work with you to make Henry's life as happy and settled as possible, I want to give him some more time with you, just the two of you. So, as long as you can handle the rest of the dishes on your own, I'm gonna leave now and give you a couple of hours together."

People rarely surprised Regina, she'd learned to expect the worst and that was almost always what she'd encountered, but for once she was unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised by someone and of all people it was Emma Swan who had provoked this unfamiliar, but undeniably welcome reaction in her. Regina found that there was no need to cultivate the smile she bestowed upon the sheriff, she was actually truly grateful to be afforded the space to spend some time alone with her son and so, for once it was with great ease that she was able to express her heartfelt gratitude. "Thank you, Miss Swan...Emma, I appreciate this more than you know."

Emma found herself suddenly a little self-conscious, caught up in the intense gaze of the brunette's genuine moment of emotional honesty. She'd never witnessed such sentiment from Regina directed at her before, only ever having seen it in her interactions with Henry. Emma suddenly found herself feeling rather gratified that she'd done something to actually make the brunette happy, given that such behavior from Regina was a total rarity.

"I think I have some idea of what it means to you Regina." Emma smiled somewhat shyly, as she handed the dish cloth back to Regina and turned to leave. "I'll come back for Henry at 8.30. I leave it in your capable hands to tire him out ready for bed." she joked, trying to break the emotional moment that had overcome them for a second. It was unexpected and not entirely comfortable, so Emma dodged past it in the best was she knew how, by moving on quickly.

Regina followed Emma out into the hallway, handing her coat to her from the rack as they reached the front door. As Emma opened the door to leave Regina offered her departing guest a concession in appreciation for the consideration she'd been shown, "Miss Swan, in return for your cooperation, I'll try to give you mine, too, with cutting out the, how did you put it, _sunshine and rainbows act_? It may take some work to _be myself _around you, as I'm currently working hard to redefine what that means, but I'll do you the courtesy of trying my best."

Emma knew that such an undertaking wouldn't be easy for Regina and that it probably meant she could look forward to less civility and more scathing remarks from the sharp-tongued brunette in future, but at least it would be real and honest and she'd take that any day over the false, sunshiny crap. "I look forward to seeing how you get on with that." Emma smiled back at her, as she opened the door to leave. "Thanks for a lovely dinner and I'll see you soon." she called, as she started down the path towards her bright yellow bug.

"Yes, see you later, Miss Swan." she heard the brunette reply, a moment before the sound of the front door closing. Emma made it to her bug and as she sat in she took a moment to collect her thoughts. She hadn't intended to confront Regina about her over zealous attempts to be well behaved in her presence, but this had been the most time she'd spent with the woman while she was constantly on her best behavior and it had almost made her long to have bitchy, back-stabbing Regina back, because at least she'd always known where she stood with her. She hoped she didn't live to regret asking her to drop the niceties. One thing she definitely didn't regret was giving the woman more time to spend with Henry. Sure, he hadn't been happy with his mother when he knew that she was lying to him, but now that he could see and more importantly believe that she was trying her best to change for him, he was happier being around her again and he wanted to see more of her. The joy that she'd seen on Regina's face when she'd told her that she was leaving Henry for a little while had surprised Emma. She knew that Regina didn't wear her heart on her sleeve; after all this was a woman who for 28 years had been able to draw secret satisfaction from the fallout of a curse created to destroy Snow White's happiness, even though the victim of the curse remembered nothing of the life from which she'd been ripped asunder. Seeing that joy illuminate the brunette's face at the thought of having more time with Henry just reaffirmed what Emma already knew, that this was a woman whose priorities had changed. She wasn't being driven by a desire for revenge anymore, but by her love for Henry. Emma knew the pain of being separated from the boy and she also knew that his reappearance in her life had given her a new purpose. If Henry could do the same thing for Regina that he'd done for her, then she knew she had to help the woman get her second chance at happiness too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Emma found herself at the front door of 108 Mifflin Street just a few short days after her surprisingly successful dinner with Regina and Henry. Leaving her son with his other mother for some quality time together had proven to be a hit with both of them, so she'd arranged for Regina to care for Henry while she attended a council meeting. In the wake of the curse breaking Regina's governance of Storybrooke had been suspended and a temporary council was overseeing the running of the town until a more formal and democratic local government could be formed. Emma knew it was difficult for Regina, as the former mayor, to have to sit idly by while others took the helm of running the town. So, she was relieved that she'd taken her request to watch Henry in the good spirit with which she'd made the suggestion.

As Emma waited for Regina to answer the door, she turned and caught her son smiling at her. "What's got you looking so happy, kid?" she asked.

"You." he beamed.

"Oh yeah? Glad to hear it! And what exactly have I done to inspire your good mood?" the blonde inquired happily.

"This" he gestured between himself and the front door, "Giving my Mom a chance. Letting me see her."

Emma smiled warmly at her son. Knowing that all the effort she was putting in to making things work for Henry was actually helping him made all the hassle she was getting for giving Regina the benefit of the doubt worthwhile. "I'm trying to do what's best for you, Henry and I think that means you having both your parents in your life. If your Mom keeps doing her best for you, then I will too, okay?"

Henry opened his mouth to reply, but was cut short by the appearance of Regina flinging the front door wide in a flurry of excitement. "I'm sorry if I was slow answering the door, I was busy baking your favorite, Henry." his flour smudged mother enthused as she pulled him into a bear hug.

"Chocolate lime cake?" the boy asked eagerly.

"Of course!" Regina happily confirmed, as she released her son, took him by the hand and led him inside the house. As she steered them towards the delicious aromas emanating from the kitchen she suddenly remembered she'd left the sheriff standing on her doorstep, unacknowledged. So, turning, she addressed Emma and attempted to rectify her oversight, "Please, join us for a slice of cake, Miss Swan, if you have the time."

The blonde was momentarily taken aback by the spontaneous invitation, but she managed to collect herself before her surprise became glaringly obvious. Emma was really trying to make an effort, not only to give Henry time with his Mom, but also to build a better relationship with the woman herself, for the sake of the son they shared. Emma knew that if she and his grandparents were constantly at loggerheads with the only mother he'd known for the first 10 years of his life, that it would tear the boy in two. So, as alien as it felt to her to be accepting invitations from Regina for dinners, cake and whatever else, Emma was prepared to make the effort for Henry. With that in mind she warmly replied, "Thanks, I'd like that." as she crossed the threshold and closed the door, quickly following behind her son and Regina towards the delightful smell of baked chocolatey goodness.

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Emma had to agree with Henry on his choice of favorite treat, the chocolate lime cake had tasted heavenly and she found that she could be more relaxed about sampling Regina's baked goods when the chef herself was partaking of her culinary creation.

Regina rose from the table and began clearing their plates. Sensing an opportunity to get out of helping with clearing up, Henry smiled sweetly at her as he asked, "Mom, can I go and pick out a movie for us to watch."

Regina was well aware of Henry's much practiced tactics for getting out of cleaning and tidying, but since they currently had so little opportunity for quality time together, she couldn't bring herself to enforce chores upon him during their short visits. "Okay, you pick us something good. I'll tidy up here and join you shortly." she conceded. Henry didn't need to be told twice and bounded from the room eagerly.

Emma took Henry's exit as her cue to leave and she too rose from her seat. "Well, thanks for the cake. I have to admit it, when you're not trying to poison me, you're actually a pretty great cook." the blonde joked.

Regina managed to stop just shy of openly rolling her eyes at the sheriff, "I suppose since that's as close as I'm ever likely to get to a compliment from you, I should be grateful." she dead-panned.

Emma couldn't help but laugh at the brunette's dry wit. This was the woman she knew and understood, sharp-tongued, quick-witted, and direct. It was a welcome relief to have her Regina back, well not her Regina exactly, but the Regina who kept her on her toes and who challenged her at every turn. In spite of the fact that Emma had so often found those very traits infuriating, she also realized that a small part of her had missed their sparring. "Ha! Yeah, I think you can safely consider that a huge compliment coming from me." Emma chuckled.

"Oh, I shall. Let me bask in the warm glow of your praise!" the brunette quipped in a tone that was thankfully more joking than sarcastic.

The blonde picked up their glasses from the table and helped Regina carry the items to the kitchen. Setting the glasses down in the sink, Emma was just preparing to make her exit and head to the meeting when Regina interrupted her plan of action. "Miss Swan, I was wondering if you could spare me a moment before you leave? There's something I've been wanting to discuss with you." the brunette asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry Regina, can it wait, because the chocolate cake pit-stop has slowed me down a bit and I really should get going to the meeting."

Undeterred by Emma's attempt to duck out, Regina persisted, "Actually, this matter is of some importance and I believe it's pertinent to your meeting. So, if you'd do me the courtesy of hearing me out, I think you'll appreciate that what I have to say may be worth missing a few minutes of your parents holding court over their subjects."

If Emma had wanted conclusive proof that Regina had dispensed with the false niceties, there it was, the former Evil Queen unable to resist the opportunity to insult Snow White and her Prince Charming."Says the woman who appointed herself mayor of the town she held captive in a curse for 28 years!" Emma quickly retorted.

"Yes, well if the two idiots you call parents hadn't cast me from that role so unceremoniously then there wouldn't even be the need for us to have this conversation, because I would already be taking whatever steps I deemed necessary to protect Henry." Regina replied tersely.

The mention of Henry got Emma's full attention and she immediately dispensed with the tit for tat sparring, needing to know exactly what Regina was talking about. "Protect Henry? Protect him from what exactly?"

Regina could see the sudden shift in Emma's demeanor, gone was the wise-cracking, self-confident attitude, replaced by concern and unblinkered focus on what she had to say. "Protect him from my mother." Regina stated simply, knowing that the blonde needed no fanfare to explain the gravity of the threat that Cora could pose, for Emma had experienced first hand the indisputable ruthlessness of the woman.

"I don't understand, you helped ensure that she can't harm him, by bringing us safely through the portal. Her only means of reaching Henry is gone." Emma stated with more confidence than she felt.

"Is it?" Regina asked rhetorically. "Surely even you must have established in your, albeit brief, foray into our land, that there are myriad magical resources that can be tapped into by those who have the knowledge and persistence to avail of them. I do not believe that we are dealing with a question of _if_ my mother will track us down, but when she will succeed in this mission. Now that the curse is broken and Cora knows that passage between lands is possible, there is one thing I know for certain, my mother will be hell-bent on once again exerting her control over me and all that I hold dear. Which means that not only are Henry and I at risk, but so too are you and your parents. For anyone who stands between Cora and her family will be nothing more to her than collateral damage." Regina stated ominously.

Emma found herself at a loss for words, not only because of the serious nature of what Regina had just told her, but also and even more worryingly, because she could detect real fear on Regina's face. An emotion she'd seen so rarely from the brunette that she was surprised that she recognized it so quickly. Yet, coming face to face with it, it was undeniable to Emma, Regina was afraid. The woman a whole land had feared as the Evil Queen was now herself gripped with fear at the prospect of having to face her mother. Gone was her imposing presence, instead she had the air of a frightened young girl, barely able to hold her head up under the heavy weight oppressing her. This told Emma all she needed to know about how seriously she should take Regina's concerns. "What do you want me to do?" she asked without hesitation. "Tell me and I'll do it." Emma reassured her, placing a comforting hand on her forearm in an attempt to help calm her fears and coax the woman back to her usual strong self.

Regina looked up at Emma, understanding for once why she might be worthy of her savior title. For, although she knew it was the sensible plan of action to utilize every resource at her disposal to help protect Henry, she hadn't anticipated that sharing her concerns with Emma and receiving the woman's support in return would actually help to ease some of the weight of worry she'd been laboring under. The smile Regina gave her was small and the woman still appeared more vulnerable than Emma was used to seeing her, but she did at least look less troubled by worry than she had a moment ago. "I need your help, Emma. I need you to convince the council that Stroybrooke has to be prepared to protect itself from my mother."

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Emma tried to slink into the council meeting as surreptitiously as possible, knowing she must have missed at least the first fifteen minutes of the meeting, after the pleasantries had been covered. As the members of the council noted her presence, she smiled apologetically in lieu of a spoken apology, not wanting to interrupt Leroy, who was in full swing discussing ways in which the people of the town could be called upon to assist Sneezy in remembering his fairytale self. Thankfully nobody commented on her timekeeping as she took her seat at the meeting table, but she couldn't help but notice the fleeting look of disappointment that crossed Mary Margaret's face at her late arrival.

Emma loved having her parents in her life, she truly did. It made her feel complete in a way that she had given up hope of ever feeling. Very occasionally though, she could sense her parents' attitude towards her shifting ever so slightly from a warm and loving perspective to one of judgement. In spite of how grateful she was to be reunited with her family, the reality was that Emma wasn't used to having to justify her actions to anyone, least of all two parents who, thanks to the curse, hardly seemed discernibly different in age to herself. Mary Margaret and David had so quickly become invested in every aspect of her life, that it seemed nothing she did went beyond the bounds of their interest. Emma had gone from being almost permanently alone to living with three people who had an opinion on everything she did. She cherished her new found family and she loved her parents for their care and support, but things in her life had changed so overwhelmingly in such a short space of time that it was a huge adjustment for her. So, from time to time she had to remind herself to be patient with her parents' constant attention.

Emma turned to her mother and mouthed a silent "Sorry!" which was met with a warm smile from the brunette, that instantly served to relax the younger woman.

Emma sat patiently through seven different items from the agenda and two that weren't, initially not wanting to disrupt the meeting any more than she already had. Instead she chose to wait patiently for an appropriate moment to broach the subject that Regina had implored her to bring to the council's attention. She wanted to give them ample warning of the serious topic that they needed to discuss and the plan that she had made regarding the issue. But between her parents, the Mother Superior, Archie, Granny, Ruby and Leroy, she could barely get a word in edgewise. Twice she'd started to tell the assembled council what she needed to discuss with them and twice she'd been interrupted by previous items from their agenda resurfacing. Finally there was a lull in the intensity of discussions and Emma cleared her throat loudly in an attempt to get everyone's attention. She knew that she needed to seize this opportunity to inform the council of her important news, but before she could begin the doors to the council chamber swung open and in strode Regina. David and Leroy sprang to their feet defensively the moment they saw her and a murmur of disapproval rippled through the room. The displeasure that her sudden appearance had caused was voiced by Mary Margaret as she exclaimed, "Regina, what do you think you are doing barging in here? This is a private meeting!"

Regina couldn't quite prevent the slight sneer that curled her lip, provoked by the condescending tone of Snow White's inquiry. "I'm not barging in, dear, I was invited." she replied, in a voice that managed to be equal parts excessively sweet and utterly disdainful in unison.

"That's ridiculous, no-one here would..." Just as Mary Margaret was dismissing Regina's seemingly preposterous claim she was interrupted by a voice to her right.

"Actually, they would. I invited her." Emma stated unapologetically.

Mary Margaret turned to her daughter, wanting to know why she would do such a thing, but she found herself momentarily stunned into silence.


End file.
